1 package of yeast
3/4 cup very very very fine ground cornmeal
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 cup of oil
3 tablespoons melted butter
3 cups bread flour
1 1/2 pounds loose sweet italian sausage
thick slices of mozzarella cheese (my pan takes 10 or so)
28 oz can of drained whole tomatoes
red wine
oregano
basil
salt
parmesan cheese
Place the fine ground cornmeal in warm water (I use the bowl in my stand mixer, since you will need it to complete the dough). To the cornmeal mixture, add yeast, salt, sugar, oil, and melted butter- whisk in stand mixer for a COMPLETE 10 minutes.
Change whisk attachment to the dough hook and add one cup of flour. Continue to add 1/2 cup of flour at a time till dough has formed a ball and no longer sticks to your hands. You might need more flour or you might find that you don't use all of it.
Once the ball is formed, transfer to the counter and kneed by hand for 5 minutes
Oil a bowl and place dough in bowl covered with plastic wrap and a towel on top. Since we keep our house cold I always let dough rise in the oven with the light on. Let dough rise till doubled
Butter pan (you can use a deep dish pie pan or any oven safe pan) well and preheat oven to 475 degrees. Make sure you use an oven thermometer cause the temp needs to be exact.
Once dough has risen, roll out dough on the counter to 1/4 inch thickness and wrap around your rolling pin as if you were making a pie crust. Lay over your pan and slowly push the dough down the sides of the pan. Trim off extra crust- as to much crust will make your pizza heavy and cave in. Let dough sit in the pan for 30 minutes to rest and then brush crust with more butter.
While the dough is resting you can make your pizza sauce. Crush the drained whole tomatoes by hand in a separate bowl till you get chunks and little liquid, pour in a little wine, stir in some oregano and basil and salt to your liking. Taste as you go.
Time to assemble . . . place the slices of cheese in the pan as the first layer on bottom.
Place sausage in next, cover cheese completely. You need to work the sausage to make one giant sausage patty.
Place tomato mixture on top of sausage and sprinkle with a little parmesan cheese.
Bake for 475 for 15 minutes and then lower temp to 400, cook till done about 25 minutes more!
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